Seed drill



L. B. KNIGHT SEED DRILL Nmv. 5 1923.

Filed May 16. 1921 INVENTO R; Llonel Borrmgl'un NmghT his HTTORNEK Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

' snares sraras aerate? LIONEL BARRINGTON KNIGHT, OF PORT PIRIE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA.

SEED DRILL.

Application filed May 16, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LIONEL BARRINGTON KNIGHT, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, residing at Norman Street, Port Pirie, in the State of South Australia and Commonwealth of Australia, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed Drills, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to improvements in seed drills the object of the same being to provide means whereby the seed can be planted to better advantage than is at prescut the case with drills manufactured according to usual custom.

As the result of close observation I have found that the percentage of malted grain resulting from ordinary seed drill planting is relatively high, particularly in dry seasons and I find by experiment that this result is almost invariably brought about if the grain is very closely associated and in direct contact with phosphate fertilizer and certain other classes of chemical manure. For this reason I have devised means whereby the association of the grain and the fertilizer may be less intimate without lessening the value of the fertilizer for stimulating growth.

In order to achieve this object I construct my machine with two drills or with a double drill instead of the single tube device as at present used. With my drills the double device is so arranged that the drill for carrying fertilizer is placed a little in advance of the portion which carries the seed, and penetrates the earth to a slightly greater depth than the seed carrier. Immediately rearward of the fertilizer drill I mount a spreader plate which may be of any suitable design. for covering the fertilizer material with a layer of earth, such spreader plate being preferably rendered easy of adjustment, and behind the spreader plate I ar range the device for distributing the grain in connection with planting.

This drill penetrates a portion of the earth which covers the fertilizing material but does not extend as deeply into the ground as the fertilizer drill and therefore deposits the grain above the fertilizer but not in immediate contact therewith.

Provision is made for properly directing and regulating the supply of fertilizer and Serial No. 469,784.

the supply of grain or seed wheat for which purpose devices similar to those which are at present in use may be employed.

But in order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now describe the same by aid of the accompanying illustrative drawings Wherein- Fig. 1 is an external side elevation of the drill. I

f Fig. 2 side elevation of drill in part secthat is adapted to cover the fertilizer with a layer of earth. This spreader e is adjustably supported by means of two pairs of rods 7 and g.

Each rod f is connected at its lower end by .a bolt f to a loop 71, integral with the spreader plate 6, and at its upper end by a bolt 2' to the drill a. Each rod is connected at its lower end by bolts to a lug 7' near the rear of the spreader plate 6, its upper end being secured by the bolt 2'. Each of the rods 7 and g has a plurality of holes a" near its upper end so that it may be adjusted relatively to the bolt 2' in order to adjust the angle or set of the spreader 6.

Above the rear of the spreader e is the seed distributor Z: to which seed is directed through flexible tube Z from a chute m in p form furrows for the grain. Rearvvardly of the plate 9 is a tail r that is adapted to place a layer of earthover the sown seed. This tail 1" is supported on a pair of rods 8 that are pivoted medially on the bolts g and at their forward ends are connected to Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. l with the upper the rods 9, by springs 25 so that the tail r may rise .and fall to adjust itself to the surface over which it is travelling.

V In the drawings parts of the device are shown of somewhat heavy construction by the use of cast metal, but it is intended that pressed metal or light forgings should be used wherever suitable in order to reduce the weight of the device;

The operation of the invention may be briefly stated as follows Y Fertilizer and seed are separately placed in their respective boxes and are fitted with seed. Meanwhile the seed having passed.

through the flexible tube Z is deposited on to the distributor if; and from thence is allowed to fall on to the ground in a series of rows, it'being separated and spread by the fanlike construction arranged upon the interior of the distributor. The seed having thus been deposited is, finally covered with a layer of earth by means of the tail 7".

In actual practice my distributor is capable of spreading the seed over an area at least four times greater than is covered with many drills at present in use.

Having now fully described and ascer-' 'tained my said invention and the manner in which it is to'be performed I declare that what I claim is 1. In a combined fertilizer and seed disg .tributing machine, a fertilizer drill, a com bined scraper and seed distributor mounted rearwardly "of said fertilizer drill to cover the fertilizer with soil and deposit seed thereover, and a drill-plate at the rear of said seed distributor to form furrows into,

which the seed is discharged. 1 s 2. In a combined fertilizer and seed distributing machine,a fertilizer drill,anda member at the rear of sa dfertilizer drill,

r pe to e e h f rtili er t soi the under surface of said member serving n I the. upper surface of sa d member hav ng channels for distributingseed to thesoil' after the fertilizer has been covered.

3. In a combined fertilizer and seed dis-v tributing machine, a fertilizer drill, a member at the rear of said fertilizer drill, the

under surface of said member serving as a scraper to cover-the fertilizer with soil, the

upper surface of saidmember having channels for distributing seed, and a drill-plate fixed to said member to the rear thereof to form furrows into which the seed is discharged.

i. In a combined fertilizer and seed distributing machine, 'afertilizer drill for cutting furrows in the soil and depositing fertlllZel' therein, a member pivot-ally mounted at the rear of said drill, the under surface 7 of saidmeinber serving as a scraper to cover the fertilizer with soil, the upper surface "of said member having channels. for dis tributing seed, a drill-plate fixed to said member to the-rear thereof to form furrows into which theseedis discharged, said mem- 1 her being swingable to adjust the position of said drill-plate so that the furrows cut thereby are of less depth than the furrows out by said fertilizer drill.

5. In a combined fertilizer and seeddis tributing machine, a fertilizer drill, a combined scraper and seed distributor mounted rearwardly of said fertilizer drill to cover the fertilizer with soil and deposit seed thereover, a drill-plate atthe rear of said seed distributor to form furrows into which the seed is discharged, and a second scraper for covering the dischar ed seed with soil.

6, In a combined ferti izer and seed distributing machine, a fertilizer drill, t combined scraper and seed distributor mounted rearwardly of said fertilizer drill to cover the fertilizer with soil and deposit seed thereover, a drill-plate at the rear of said seed distributor to form furrows into which the seed is discharged, and a second scraper tributing machine, a'fertilizer drill for cut-- ting furrows in the soil'and depositing fer- 'tilizer therein, a member pivotally mounted at the rear of said drill, the under surface of said member serving as a scraper to cover the fertilizer with soil, the upper surface of said member having channels for distribut- 1 ing seed, a drill-plate fixed to said member at the rear thereof to forin furrows into which the seed is discharged, said; member) being swingable to adjust the positionof said drill-plate so that the furrows out there by are. of less depth than'tlie furrows; out

. by said fertilizer drill, and v a scraper mounted upon said member for covering the.

discharged seed withvs'oil.

In' testimony whereof signature. i

LionEL Banni-NeTON KNIGHT.

he has afiixed his v 

